In furtherance of its commitment to ensuring effective preparedness and response to predicted flooding and other emergencies, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Port Harcourt Operations Office, in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA), today convened a one-day stakeholders’ strategic planning meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The meeting, themed “Preparedness and Response to Flood and Other Emergencies in Bayelsa State,” brought together key agencies and community representatives to deliberate on strategies to strengthen coordination and readiness, in line with NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Prediction and NIHSA’s Annual Flood Outlook.
Declaring the session open, the Chairman of BYSEMA, Hon. Igrubia Walamam Samuel, applauded the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, for her outstanding and consistent leadership in flood disaster management nationwide. He further commended the Head of Operations, NEMA Port Harcourt, Mr. Eric Ebhodaghe, for his tireless efforts in supporting disaster preparedness and response across Bayelsa and Rivers States. Hon. Samuel assured participants of the Bayelsa State Government’s full commitment to collaborate with stakeholders in managing disasters in the state.
Hon. Samuel assured that the outcome of the meeting would be presented to the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State to guide the government in taking informed decisions for proactive disaster management.
In his remarks, Mr. Ebhodaghe conveyed the warm regards of the Director General of NEMA to the Bayelsa State Government and stakeholders present. He underscored the essence of the meeting as a platform to assess the level of preparedness of stakeholders, reinforce inter-agency synergy, and develop a coordinated work plan for seamless flood preparedness and response in Bayelsa State. He highlighted ongoing NEMA interventions such as:
Community engagements and sensitization;
Identification of higher grounds for possible relocation;
Collaboration with Disaster Response Units (DRUs);
Media enlightenment and flood awareness campaigns;
Downscaling of NiMet and NIHSA early warning predictions;
Training of community volunteers.
The meeting had in attendance critical stakeholders, including the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigeria Navy, Federal and State Fire Services, Department of State Security Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Red Cross Society, Ministry of Environment (Flood and Erosion Control), Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), community representatives, the media, and others.
Participants unanimously reaffirmed their readiness to work in synergy with NEMA and BYSEMA in mitigating the impacts of flooding and other disasters in Bayelsa State. To further enhance coordination, a dedicated WhatsApp Flood Emergencies Response Group was created to facilitate swift information sharing and prompt action during emergencies.
9th September, 2025
